1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to the field of infusion sets and more particularly to infusion sets with removable injection needles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Subcutaneous injection is a standard method for the delivery of medication into a patient's body. To facilitate frequent or continuous subcutaneous injection of medication, subcutaneous injection ports are often used. Such injection ports extend through the skin and may remain in place for several days. Currently, a major application of such injection ports is to provide continuous delivery of medication, such as insulin, from portable pumps carried with the patient. When used with a portable pump, the injection port is typically connected to the pump via a fluid line. Another application of subcutaneous injection ports is to permit multiple injections of medication into a patient without the need to re-puncture the patient's skin. In this application, medication is injected from a standard medical implement, such as a syringe, through a soft elastomer septum into the injection port which delivers the medication subcutaneously.
Subcutaneous injection ports generally require a sharp, rigid needle to pierce the patient's skin when initially attached to the patient. However, in some applications, if the needle were left in place through the skin to provide medication delivery, after one or two days the needle could become uncomfortable to the patient. To solve this problem, infusion sets with removable needles and soft plastic cannula to be placed inside the body of a patient have been developed. However, these sets have many disadvantages. There remains a need for an improved infusion set that is less bulky, less susceptible to contamination, more comfortable to a user, and easier to use.